The Role of Perceived Risk and Environmental Concern in Consumers' Online Purchase Intention of Electric Cars in China

HRMARS - In response to the global energy crisis and escalating environmental pollution, many countries have decided to halt the production of traditional fuel cars. China has been the world's largest producer and seller of electric cars for several years and also dominates the online retail market. Chinese consumers are increasingly inclined to purchase electric cars through online platforms due to government policies. Although many consumer behaviour researchers have been focusing on China's online retail and electric car markets recently, there has been limited integration of these two areas in research. Consequently, this paper aimed to address this research gap by examining how perceived risk (PR) and environmental concern (EC) influence Chinese consumers’ attitudes (CA) to purchase electric cars online. This study utilized the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact of perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU), PR, and EC on CA and subsequently examine how these factors affect their purchasing intention (PI). A quantitative approach was employed, utilising a self-administered questionnaire for data collection, and descriptive and inferential analysis methods were applied to process the data in accordance with the research objectives. Data collection was conducted by means of online questionnaires, and the partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling based on variance analysis was employed to test the research hypotheses (H). This study enhances the applicability of the TAM in elucidating the behaviour of consumers regarding the online purchase of electric cars. Furthermore, it offers practical strategies and interactive guidelines for policymakers, e-commerce platforms, electric car manufacturers, and other stakeholders to steer consumers’ online car purchasing decisions.